Coast to Coast
by Teisuu
Summary: Cross-continental immigration is never fun. Especially when you're 16, ill-tempered and are going to live with your estranged relatives in La Push. Not to mention, half of the town hates you before you even arrive. But hey, it can't be that bad, right? Wrong. Set during Eclipse and onwards. Strong language and eventual mature themes; Seth / OC
1. Chapter 1 - Arrivals

_Just my fucking luck._

It was raining, I hadn't brought a coat and my ride hadn't shown up yet.

_Just great. _

I don't know why I expected any different. My family had warned me that the weather in Seattle and it's surrounding area was akin to the cloudy British weather I was accustomed to, but even then I didn't expect this forceful downpour. I peered outside, past the pristine gleam of the sliding doors and into the torrential rain beyond. Water flowed down the walls and streets, with a current strong enough to sweep away a small child. People huddled together under shaking umbrellas, desperate for warmth and shelter from the bitter rain.

I groaned inwardly as I realized that I would soon have to join them.

As I debated whether it would be reasonable to just back up and sit over in the cafe for the next ten minutes, a brash voice behind me spoke up.

"Move it! You're blocking the doorway!" They yelled, shoving me to the side and sheltering their head under a backpack as they dashed outside. Others behind me gave me pointed looks as I turned around, making my cheeks redden and force me to stutter an awkward apology. I took this as a cue to stumble outside into the frigid weather, ducking my head down to keep it as dry as possible.

_Why didn't I turn around _I thought, briefly letting go of one of my suitcases to pull my flimsy jacket closer to my body.

_It wouldn't have been weird to just turn around and walk over to the cafe! My umbrella and rain coat are packed in my suitcase, for gods sake! Why did I think I should even come wait outside?_

Grunting in frustration, I hauled my two suitcases and carry-on luggage towards the nearest shelter, hoping it would provide some refuge. The old metal creaked and groaned as more and more droplets bombarded it in a stream of endless water, straining the structure and making it shudder. It didn't provide much cover as I could feel cold droplets splash onto my head every ten seconds or so, but it was better than nothing. The old couple next to me didn't seem to think so, as every time a particularly large droplet of water landed on either of them they would make odd grunts and grumbles to voice their displeasure.

Another splash landed on my head, and I put down both suitcases next to me so I could rake my fingers through my quickly dampening hair. There was no use trying to save it now; I would look like a petrifying, drowned rat no matter how many times I brushed it. I had wanted to look good for this day, too; I had straightened my usually wavy and erratic hair to make myself appear older and more sophisticated. That didn't seem very likely now that my hair hung limp from my head, appearing a near black colour from the rain. I looked like a hobo now, and no amount of hairspray or brushing would change it.

_God dammit. _

I continued to run my hands through my sodden hair, attempting to rinse out some of the water. It flowed down my fingers and hands, rolling into my sleeves and putting a chill deep into my bones. Shivering, I began roughly rubbing my arms as to warm them from the cold. I would have to get used to this, I reminded myself. Joy said it usually rains most of the week in La Push, and if it didn't, it would still be overcast. That wasn't much different than the usual soggy weather I was used to, other than it was more likely to snow here than my previous home. Another thing that was different here was the smell. Petrol, bleach and concrete. In England, there was the faint smell of the countryside or fresh air, even in some of the larger cities like London or Manchester. Here, the city smelt dirty and industrialized. It was foreign to me, and served as another reminder of how far away from home I was.

Another scent suddenly assaulted my senses, and left as soon as it came. It burnt my nose and made my eyes sting. A faint, stickly sweet smell clung to the air now; seeming to bother no one else but me. _That's weird_, I thought, glancing around to locate the source of the smell.  
There was none.

There was something off about this place, I decided. Not just Seattle, but Washington in general. The descriptions my cousins gave me of the house and community I was to be living in for the next two years was too vague for my liking, not to mention the current crime and disappearances in the area. I shivered again, but this time, it wasn't from the cold. I didn't know what it was, but something about this move had made me feel uneasy about everything. I could feel myself becoming paranoid, and unconsiously drew my arms closer into my chest to serve as some sort of protection.

Obviously, before I moved I looked up some info in the area. The current crime wave in Seattle was a major concern, as it was suspected that serial killings were still taking place. I wasn't sure what was worse; a body showing up, mangled and charred from who knows what torture, or no body showing up at all. The fact that all the disappearances happened fairly late at night did nothing to ease the deep sense foreboding that was beginning to form over me with each passing minute. I looked to the couple next to me, hoping their presence would provide some sort of comfort. Sharp, angular faces glared back at me, daring me to look again. My cheeks turned red again and I looked up towards the sky instead, hoping to see some ease in the furious weather the sky was forcing down upon the city. It seemed to swallow up all light, even the buildings and billboards proudly displayed on the sides of tall structures seemed grey and withered with the rain. I felt as if I stood there much longer, I would begin to melt; all my colour escaping me and flowing into the drains below.

It was now 4:42pm, Seattle time. That meant I had been up for almost 24 hours, as technically my body thought it was still in the British, 11:30pm time zone. For a fleeting moment, I was grateful for the rain keeping me frozen and awake. I would probably die of embarrassment if I fell asleep outside the airport. That moment passed as soon as it came, however, as I became aware of the dratted rain soaking into my oldest pair of converse. Even my eyelashes had begun to drip with the build up of water that had landed on top of my head, running down my face and jacket before dropping off of the bottom. I grumbled complaints that fell on deaf ears as I shuffled from foot to foot, impatiently looking out for the crappy land rover my estranged cousin was to be picking me up in.

Just as I was about to start looking for a phone booth to ask where the hell he was, or probably call a cab, a car came screeching around the corner. The sharp turn sent waves of water crashing over many pedestrians, earning the land rover a multitude of rude gestures and angry faces. I don't know the speed limit, especially this close to the airport, but he was probably going at least thirty over. His general disregard for the well being of others, as displayed in his inconsiderate attitude towards road safety in general gave me a bad impression of him.

Now usually, I don't think of myself as a judging person. We all make mistakes, and if we try our best to try and correct them, that makes us better people. However, today I was gradually becoming grumpier and grumpier with each passing second, already irritated with my cousin even before I had met him. I was glad that his wet, rainy windows could mask the scowl I was directing towards the car, because if my current drenched state wouldn't make him be wary of me, my death glare sure would. He seemed like an asshole.

The car pulled up a few feet in front of me, just barely mounting the curb. It was rather beat down and old, as I could plainly see patches of rust and scrape marks along the side. The passenger door was horribly dented, as was a good portion of the hood. I ignored the tutting and disapproving stares of the bitter couple next to me as the door slowly opened and I tried to soften my judging stare so he wouldn't think I was rude or impolite. First impressions are everything, right? Even if his was rather shitty, it didn't mean mine had to be. Hell, I even tried to _smile_ a little!

Whatever expression I had on my must have been quickly wiped off by a look of utter shock horror. This man getting out of the car I had been told to look out for was huge! He easily towered over my now apparently puny height of 5"8', which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. It was a rare occurrence that anyone, especially a guy who was supposed to be around my age was taller than me, so I was obviously a little taken aback. If I'm honest, I felt a little threatened already.

He had to be _at least _6"2', and looked around twenty.

The next thing I noticed was his build. _Jesus Christ _man, this guy looked like he could drop kick Chuck Norris! Extremely burly and muscular, especially in the tight wife beater he was wearing. He looked like some sort of bodyguard or something! He briefly stretched out and yawned, giving me full view of both his bulging muscles and stark white teeth. _The hell was he trying to do, intimidate me or something? _I watched him search, quickly scanning the entrance of the airport with deep brown eyes. He spotted me and a grin began to form on his face.

I felt myself shrinking back towards the glass wall of the shelter as he approached me, his grin stretching further across his face with each step. Finally, he stopped in front of me, stretching out his hand (I assumed) for me to shake. I gripped it firmly, and he pulled me forward into a hug, making me lose my footing. I was now dangling between his arms, my chest being constricted by his literal bear-tight hug. The air rushed out of my lungs and once again, I felt heat rush to my cheeks at this embarrassing situation.

"So, you're the cousin, huh? Sure you're not adopted, or something?" He laughed, still managing to look down in me even though I was trapped in his grasp.

_Commenting on my paleness_, I thought.

_Classy._

He set me down, and I quickly assessed the damage.

"Y-yeah, I think that sometimes too...But um, you're Quil right?"_ I think he might have cracked a rib, it feels like I have internal bleeding..._

"Yep, Quil Ateara the Fifth, at your service! Where shall m'lady be traveling to today?" He asked, performing a sweeping and over-exaggerated bow. The corners of my mouth twitched upwards at his antics. I bent over to grab my suitcases, hitching my carry-on higher on my shoulder as I straightened myself out again. He still wore that shit-eating grin. I was beginning to think it was his trademark.

"Home I guess? It's been a pretty long day and I'd like to nap for a little, if that's okay?" I asked, biting my lip. He nodded enthusiastically and motioned towards the car. We both dashed back through the rain, towards the car and the warmth it would provide. I shoved both of my suitcases in the back as fast as I could and followed Quil's lead into the warm interior of the car. As soon as I shut the door I was greeted by an almost overpowering smell of the outdoors; a rain-soaked, woodsy scent that seemed to stick to the seats like glue. It was a welcome change from the carcinogenic smog that had settled around me outside.

Quill followed suit and set himself down in the drivers seat, shaking his short hair like a wet dog would. He turned the key in the ignition, making the car roar to life. Suddenly I remembered his little 'power water slide' trick he pulled on innocent bystanders not five minutes ago, and any sense of comfort I may have felt immediately vanished.

"Um, Quil?" I asked, my voice still quivering from the cold.

"Yeaahum?" He replied, leaning over the back seats as he reversed so as to get a better view.

"Can you um, please drive a little carefully? I'm not saying that you uh, don't already, it's just that... Well, I've been awake for almost a full day and it would be brilliant if I could just nap for a little while?"

_Jesus Christ woman! What are you, a mouse? If you wanna nap you fucking nap! Telling him not to drive like a ruddy maniac isn't asking much! _I scolded myself for being so forward. God, how rude he must think I am...

"Oh yeah, sure! We have a pretty long drive ahead, and mom wants you fully awake so she can feed you a 'proper dinner' when you arrive." He smiled, giving me a reassuring glance.

"I'm not sure if Gramps will be back before us, cause he's still on a fishing trip, but I'm sure you'll meet him before the weekend is over. It's just me, mom and him, so you're gonna be like the little sister I never had!" Quil was practically beaming by now, looking over to me every few seconds. I caught his eye and returned his smile with a bashful one of my own, folding my hands into my lap.

"You're pretty quiet, huh? Don't like talking much?" He asked, turning his stereo on and turning the volume down.

"I guess...I'm pretty tired too, maybe that's why. I'm sorry." I mumbled.

Now usually, I wouldn't be this quiet. With friends, I would be yelling obscenities left and right, throwing insults and punches simultaneously. I'm a sarcastic bastard at my core, and it was a wonder how I hadn't offended my cousin in some way by now. However, since he was new to me and I was going to have to live with him for the next two years, I decided to tone my normal personality down a lot. Don't want him thinking I'm an asshole before he really knows me now, do I?  
There was also the fact that if I did actually offend him, it seemed like he would waste no time in shoving my head through the window and dumping my unconscious body in the forest. Seriously, this dude was scary.

"Oh! No need to apologize, it's fine! I understand that feeling. Actually, just last week I..." Quil began rambling, so I just left him to it. By this point, my eyes were half closed and I was really struggling to keep them open. The radio station he had put on didn't help much, if anything it served to make me sleepier.

_Just a few minutes, _I thought. _I'm sure he won't miss me if I just have a quick kip..._

I woke up apparently an hour and a half later, with Quil's face literally two inches from mine.

"We're almost there!" He announced, as a large sign that read 'Welcome To Forks' passed by.

Aw, shit.


	2. Chapter 2 - Meeting the Mother

I was groggy, confused, and couldn't see out of my right eye. Half of my vision blurred into a mess of dark colours as I attempted to rub the sleep out of my eyes. My mouth was dry, and tasted of stale bread. I had been sleeping with my mouth open, I concluded, as I wiped the small drool trail from the side of my mouth.

_That's attractive._

I cracked my knuckles and attempted to strech out my legs, deeming it too risky to stretch my arms as I might hit Quil.  
"How long have I been out?" I asked, muffling my yawn with the back of my hand.  
"Oh, only around an hour and a half." He smiled back at me, and I silently watched him drumming his fingers on the wheel. He glanced out of the window, and I watched him stiffen. _Odd..._

"How much father are we going?" I inquired, looking out the window too to try and see what he had.  
"We just have to pass through Forks on the way back to the Rez. We should be home in about ten minutes, I think." Quil informed me, suddenly intent on the road. He kept looking off to the side and into the forest, making me wonder what suddenly got him so antsy.

"Quil, are you okay? You seem nervous..." I asked him, yawning again.

"Well, technically I'm not supposed to be here," He smiled as a child would when they were caught stealing from the cookie jar. I raised an eyebrow (which I'm sure he noticed) but remained silent.

"But I'm sure it's fine, since I'm picking you up and all!" He didn't believe his own words, and I suddenly felt very embarrassed that I had made him break the rules, just so he could collect me. I looked down, ashamed, and folded my hands into my lap.

_You've barely been here five minutes and already you're ruining people's lives._

Hah! As if Quil breaking some silly rule would ruin his life. Why _shouldn't_ he be allowed into Forks? Unless someone here had some sort of restraining order on him, I couldn't fathom a reason. Maybe he had an ankle bracelet that tracked him whenever he went to Forks, who knew. I debated weather I should ask him for a while, before deciding against it. I shouldn't snoop, I thought. If he wanted me to know he would have told me.

Glancing at the window, I was greeted with my own pale and bedraggled reflection. My hair was atrocious, drying flat on one side from where my head had been resting against the window. The other side was a wild mess of frizzy brown waves. With a sigh, I began to try and fix my 'mane'. It had dried somewhat in the warm interior of the car, but had returned to it's natural wavy state. The rain had also caused my hair to 'frizz up', meaning that the non-flattened side had become a mess of flyaway curls. After tugging at it for a while, I decided to try and brush it back into place. I reached around into the back seats off the car and grabbed my carry on, rummaging through until I found my brush. I made a small noise of triumph when I found it, causing Quil to raise an eyebrow at me when I turned around. I hid my face beneath my hair, causing him to smirk and chuckle slightly.

God, that's embarrassing.

I pulled the sun visor down and used the small mirror to fix my hair. I was used to this, my hair frequently came out of place (much to my annoyance) but today was one day I needed to look half decent for. I needed to make a good impression on Joy and Old Quil, even if my impression on Quil Jr wasn't all that great. My hair was slowly calming down, much to my delight, and after a few final brushes I decided I looked ready. I can't say I looked better than I did when I got on the plane, but halfway decent was better than nothing, right?

Glancing out the window, I noticed that the rain that was so prevalent by the airport only an hour ago had now lessened into a light drizzle. It was spitting, at best, and I was grateful that I wouldn't have to endure the 'death by rain' ordeal again. The greying city walls of Seattle had given away to an abundance of greenery, so thick that it was near impossible to see more than two feet into the tree line. Large pine and spruce trees seemed to loom over the road, which seemed oddly quiet to me at this time of night.

"Quil, can I roll the window down a bit? It's a little stuffy in here..." I asked, biting my lip and fiddling with my hands. He gave a hearty laugh, and patted me on the shoulder.

"Hey, no need to keep asking all the time! Mi casa es su casa, right? If we're going to be living together for the next two years, cuz, you should loosen up a little!" He gave me a genuine smile then, making his eyes crinkle and a single dimple on his left cheek to appear. I laughed too, emitting an apology before cranking down the window halfway.

The smell of conifers hit me like a ton of bricks, reminding me how far into the woods of America we actually were. It was one of the smells prevalent in the car before, and I deduced that Quil must have spent some time in the woods recently to have his car interior smell so strongly of it. Other scents passed in the wind, too; moss, bark and freshly rained on soil were some of the many to assault my senses. It reminded me of comfort, of home and family. Memories of long walks and picnics ghosted just beneath my eyelids, triggering a faint feeling of nostalgia to creep into my heart.

_New life, remember? _

I hurriedly tried to quell the rise of these feelings inside of me. No use reminiscing now. This was the time for new memories and a new life, I had to remember that.

I glanced at the clock; it was nearing half six now. I would usually be starting to prepare dinner by now, if my mum wasn't already home. The thought of this made my stomach grumble and Quil to smirk.

"Don't worry, we'll literally be a minute or two. Look, we're into La Push now!" He visibly relaxed at this statement, his hands loosening from the wheel and slouching in his seat more. I made a sound of acknowledgement before glancing out the window again. The freeness of the forest greeted me, a blur of vivid greens and browns and _hey wait what was that sandy colour then-_

"Home sweet home!" Quil suddenly exclaimed, making a sharp turn onto a residential street that was home to four very new looking houses. Each seemed to be around three stories high, with an almost gothic design. Wooden awnings that formed into front porches adorned each house, some housing rocking chairs for comfy viewing of the road and forest beyond. I quickly rolled up my window again, preparing to exit the car. Quil drove to the third house and slowly pulled up on the curb outside, gingerly shutting down the engine and opening his door.

This house seemed to be the brightest in colour, with pale blue paint and greying slate. It seemed odd, as all the other photos I had seen of American houses were either smaller or more modernized. Quil must have seen my look of confusion as I opened the door, because he began to explain the existence of the houses.

"These are some of the tallest houses in La Push," He started, opening the back doors so I could grab a suitcase.

"None of the other houses around here look like this. It's kind of weird really, but because they were built so recently they kind of stick out from the others."

"Maybe because they're closer to Forks than the rest of the Rez?" I suggested, hauling one of my suitcases out while grabbing the strap of my carry on. Quil was having no trouble with my other suitcase, as he pulled it behind him as if it were as light as a feather. I frowned at his level of strength and continued to struggle with my own bags.

"Here, need help with that?" He offered, smiling and out stretching a hand. I refused with a dismissive shake of my head, motioning towards the door.

"I can manage, it's okay! You... You go on ahead, I'll be right with you." I grunted, slowly tugging my suitcase forward. He shrugged, locking the car before walking up the front steps of the house and unlocking the door. The drizzle was beginning to seep into my skin, only ever so slightly dampening my clothes and baggage. I began grumbling again and collected all of my energy into pushing my suitcase up the porch steps.

Quil was in the doorway, looking at me quizzically with a raised eyebrow. I responded with my own confused expression, causing him to lean forward and collect my suitcase. How he had the strength to haul those cases up the steps was beyond me. I followed him onto the porch and into the house, immediately being greeted by the smell of fresh cooking. Savoury smells wafted around my nostrils, enticing me to venture further into the house. I struggled to not dash inside; the only food I had had throughout the whole day was a terrible airplane meal that I refused to finish. Even a cookie would be appreciated at this point.

My resolve remained iron clad as I stuck by Quil while he shut and locked the front door, pushing my bags off to the side. I took this brief pause as a chance to take in my surroundings. The hallway itself was relatively normal sized, and housed the stairs to the upper floors. Another door, similar to the one I just entered into, was set into the end of left wall; presumably leading to the rest of the house. The hall was wide enough to fit a small cabinet down it lengthwise, upon which had a small mirror and some family photos that I was too shy to look at in detail. The wooden floor was old, and some floorboards seemed to be slightly loose from the original layout. I took a step forward, causing the boards to creak.

This seemed to alert Quil as he whipped around and cast a shockingly bright grin towards me.

"Mom's in the kitchen," He informed me, dusting his hands off and placing his keys onto the rack situated next to the door.

"She can be... very enthusiastic at times. She's nice though, don't worry. You're all she's been talking about for the past few months." Dear god, I hope he was joking. To have anyone talk about me was bad enough, let alone my own estranged family!

"Mom! We're back!" Quill yelled, and I followed him down the hall into a large living room. The walls were painted a pale cream colour, and all the furniture looked relatively old. A large television was propped up on a stand in front of a withered looking couch set, upon which a small and greying cat slept. I could see through the rest of the room there was a dining set, that looked out of the large bay window I had seen at the front of the house. Behind the dining set, a large wooden door was propped open, showing the inside of the kitchen. Quil ushered me further into the room, shutting the hall door behind us.

It was then when a small, round-faced woman popped out from behind the ajar door.

There was little resemblance between her and Quil; his strong jawline and borderline angular features contrasted his mother's round face quite dramatically. However, their eyes were the same shade of dark mahogany and both mother and son held an impish grin as if they were born with it. Her hair was tied up in a bun, salt-and-pepper strands falling out in a tired disarray. She had a small and rounded nose, with deep-set laugh lines around her eyes and cheeks, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking how someone as large and terrifying as Quil came from someone like her.

When she saw us, her eyes lit up. Her grin stretched so far I feared it would break her face, and she charged at us with open arms.

"Honey, I'm so glad you're back!" She crooned up at Quil, being smaller than the both of us at around 5"6'. Her arms tightened around him, and he bent down to place a kiss on her cheek.

"And you! Look at you, my little niece! You're so pretty~" She gushed at me, pinching my cheeks and then wrapping her arms around me in a bone-crushing hug.

Now I know where Quil gets his personal space invasion from.

Technically, my 'Auntie Joy' was my cousin. Quil and I shared a great - grandfather, on his fathers side. My grandma was the result of one drunken affair that had not been brought to light until fairly recently. She married my grandfather, a German by the name of Josef Grimes, and had my father, who they named Michael. He then married my mother and she had me, Charlotte Emma Grimes. We only found out about the family connection when an old letter my great-grandfather was found by my mother, who thought it would be a great opportunity to get in touch with the rest of my family.

Turns out that they lived close to Seattle, where I was planning on taking my college courses. My mother suggested to Joy that I stay over in America for the two years I would have to wait before starting college, to help me get 'accustomed' to life in the states. Joy immediately agreed, much to my displeasure, and she and my mother began discussing the moving arrangements. Four months later, and here I am; A certified American citizen ( I have a green card, thank you very much!).

I had thought that the move had happened very fast, considering we had only known about each other for around four months. My mother had assured me that Joy was wonderful, and I was hesitant to believe her up until now.

_She wouldn't hurt a fly_, I thought. _I don't even think she could if she tried._

Quil smiled at his mother as she backed away to 'get a good look the two of us', draping one of his arms around my shoulders. Joy pulled a camera out of nowhere, and before I knew it I had heard three little _click click clicks _and been blinded by the flash. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, attempting to regain my vision.

"What's for dinner, mom? I haven't eaten in hours!" Quil complained, removing his arm from me and walking through the dining room into the kitchen. I remained by the door to the hall, unsure of where to go. Joy smiled at me and motioned for me to sit in the dining room.

"You're just in time! The lasagna is almost finished; please, sit! Sit!" She ushered me towards one of the chairs, just as Quil emerged from the kitchen with some plates and cutlery. He set out three places, and then turned towards his mother.

"Is gramps back yet?" He questioned, hesitating to put the fourth set down.

"No, the old coot said he was staying out at the lodge tonight. It will be the death of him, I swear! Crazy old man..." Joy replied, and at my place by the table I could see her shake her head in the kitchen. Quil shrugged at me, and returned to the kitchen to put the set away. Ah, at least I wouldn't have to meet _Old_ Quil yet. That was a plus, I guess.

"Oh, we'll take you up to your room after dinner!" Joy called over her shoulder, bending down to pull a lasagna tray out of the oven. I muttered an 'okay' back to her, not entirely sure how to respond.

Quil joined me at the table as his mother brought the tray of lasagna in. Eagerly, he began to reach for it, but was abruptly stopped as Joy slapped his hand away with a spatula.

"Ladies first!" She chastised.

"You would eat all of it if I let you have your way!" Quil muttered a sheepish apology, retracting his hands from the tray.

"Now, Charlotte, how much would you like?" She smiled, positioning the spatula over a generous portion.

"Ah, just Charlie or Lottie will be okay! And um, that looks like enough." I smiled back, trying not to seem too greedy.

"Oh! Why didn't you say so before?" Joy laughed, scooping the meal onto my plate and hers before handing it over to Quil. He proceeded to put the rest of it onto his plate, looking at the both of us expectantly. His mother frowned at him, and then turned towards me with a tired look.

"Please excuse him," She smiled, handing me the vegetable bowl.

"He does a lot of exercise, and needs to eat a lot to stay a healthy weight."

Something about her explanation seemed rehearsed, but it wasn't my place to question it. I nodded in understanding, and looked down at my meal. Was I supposed to say grace, or something? I had never been very religious, and neither had anyone I had known. I knew that some Americans were very religious, but I wasn't sure if the Atearas were.

Apparently not, it would seem. As soon as the remainder of the vegetables were on his plate, Quil began wolfing down his meal. I looked to Joy, seeing that she had also began eating. I reached for my own cutlery, cutting off a small slice of lasagna and beginning to eat it. I would usually eat like Quil was currently eating, as in shoving as much into my mouth as possible, but I didn't want them thinking bad of me. What was I, a pig?

By the time I was half done, Quil had finished and was all but licking the remains off his plate. He sat back, with one hand behind his head and one on his stomach. A small sigh of content escaped his lips, before an odd noise outside made him perk up.

"Oh, crap!" I heard him mutter, before bolting up from his seat.

"Thanks for the food, mom! It was delicious." He grinned, grabbing his plate and rushing to put it into the sink. He then dashed to the other side of the kitchen, opening the back door that I hadn't been previously aware of. Joy called a 'stay safe' to his back as he retreated into the garden, quickly shutting the door behind him.

My confused expression didn't go unnoticed by Joy, who turned to me, smiling.

"He does a lot of community work," She explained, continuing to cut up her own meal.

"Security on the reservation, things like that. He's out quite a lot, so don't be surprised when he comes in at random times."

I nodded again, and continued eating.

I knew there was something weird about this place.


	3. Chapter 3 - Unboxing

True to her word, Joy showed me up to my room after dinner. I was on the third floor, in the second attic room. As we walked up the stairs to the attic, I was greeted by a small room laden with boxes and other old knick-knacks, that smelt suspiciously of mold. A path had been made through these, leading to a door around five feet from the stairs. This was the door that led to my room, and although I wasn't too happy about being shoved in the attic, I wad glad that I actually had a door to shut people out.

My room housed part of the roof, meaning that around halfway the walls started to slope up. This didn't seem to be that big of a problem, because all my items that were on these walls (a bed, small dresser and desk) fit on the bottom half that didn't slope. It was also relatively small and cramped; most of my furniture was only around four or five feet apart. On the same wall as the door, a large oak wardrobe stood. I was told that it had been in the family for generates, but was too big and too old to get out of the attic without damaging it. Now, it was mine to use.

My desk was situated on the right wall, facing onto the drive and road at the front. My bed was on the opposing wall, facing onto the back garden and forest beyond. On the slope above my bed, a large window was placed, having a small platform to allow access onto the roof. If I was to stand on my bed and open the window, it would be easy to pull myself onto the ledge and sit looking out. My dresser stood at the foot of my bed, seemingly bare without any of it's usual pictures and perfume bottles on the topic it.

"Some things still haven't arrived yet," Joy admitted, folding her hands together.

"These came just yesterday; Quil and his friends spent the whole day putting them up!" She laughed at this, making me smile.

"I'll remember to thank him the next time I see him." I laughed too, looking to her.

"And thank _you_, for the lovely meal and for letting me stay in your home. Really, I can't thank you enough." I alway became quiet and bashful when thanking someone like this. Heartfelt things always made me feel weird.

"_Nonsense_! You're family, my dear. I'm sure you and your mother would do the same for Quil if I asked." She winked at me, and pushed my suitcases in through the door.

"Oh! I believe the rest of your things are coming this week, so don't worry about them. Deliveries around here usually take longer than you're used to." Smiling at me, she gave me a one armed hug and turned towards the door.  
"Now, you should be resting from the long flight. You must be exhausted!" Joy began to exit back through the door, pulling it closed as she went.

"The bathroom is the door farthest from the stairs going down, and you can call me if you need anything. I'll be out at work before you're awake, I'm sure, but my mobile number is by the house phone if you need anything." The door shut, and I could hear her walking towards the stairs.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, too!" She called, descending the stairs. I yelled a meek 'Thank you' back, and proceeded to turn to face my room. The light that flickered from a cord in the ceiling was incredibly dim, making everything difficult to see. I could see black paper underneath the netted curtains, which further contributed to the darkness. I remembered Joy saying I could take them off, so I shuffled over to my bed and climbed onto it.

Ripping the paper off, I was immediately greeted by the bright white of the moon. It was only 8pm, but the long nights of winter were gradually beginning to fade away in the small La Push reservation. Even though it was nearing the beginning of April, the days were already starting to get longer and sunnier. I opened the window, letting a gust of cold air sweep around the room, blowing dust off of the old floor. It had stopped raining all together and the night looked relatively clear. Sighing, I pulled myself up onto the ledge, looking out into the forest beyond. The trees looked almost black; and they merged together as if they were one living being. I couldn't see any movement for miles.

Still, I left the windows open as I ventured over to my bags, pulling my favourite pillow and pair of pyjamas out. I locked the door to my room before getting changed; pulling on my kitten-themed nightware before and throwing my worn clothes into the corner. I quickly deemed that the 'washing' corner and continued searching through my bags.

Now, don't think less of me when I tell you this.  
I sleep with a teddy.

Yes, I _know_ it's childish and silly, but I literally cannot sleep without something to hold. It makes me feel safer, holding something at night. And not in the '_oh no it's dark and the monsters under my bed will get me if teddy doesn't protect me_' way. Think more along the lines of '_if someone comes into my room during the night I have something reasonably hard to hit them with_'.

There was also the fact that this was the teddy my grandfather had gotten me when he, my grandmother and I had returned to his old house in Germany when I was around three. I couldn't remember much of the visit, only that I was scared at night so he got me a teddy to sleep with. It was already pretty old when I had first acquired it, but even now it's white fur had been worn to the point of near blackness, and it's eyes we're dull and scratched. Nevertheless, it smelt like home; and that was a welcome comfort in the dark and cold bedroom I was to be living in for the next two years.

A chill suddenly swept around the room, blowing my hair around and disturbing the elasticised curtains. I shivered, and hurried over to the window to shut it. The moon was still out, but now it was blocked by a large number of clouds; making the forest outside seem eerie and dangerous. I shut the window, blocking images of savage bears and wolves from my mind. I was on the third floor of a house, for gods sake! If a wild animal got in I think it may have some trouble navigating two locked doors and three sets of stairs.

I quickly shuffled over to the light switch, pulling the cord to shut the lamp off. The room was suddenly cast into utter blackness, making me jump and dash towards my bed. I landed on it with a loud thud, hoped that Joy hadn't heard me, and began to worm my way down into the covers. The sliver of moon that was visible through the clouds cast haunting shadows through the windows in my room, dancing across the walls and on the ceiling. With a frown towards my own childishness at thinking the shadows were somehow _alive_, I pulled the duvet over my head, hugged my teddy closer, and tried to sleep.

* * *

I awoke the next day, with half of my body on the floor and half on the bed. My covers seem to have been discarded during the night, as they were balled up at the bottom of the bed in a mound of both pillows and duvet. Both my legs had slid off of the low bed. They were now currently resting on the floor, halfway under the bed. They felt like static; a clear indicator of the fatal condition called _pins and needles._ An oddly strangled groan escaped my mouth as I tried to bring life back into my legs.

I slowly woke up and climbed out of bed, rubbing my arms to get them warm again. My legs had two long, red marks running down the length of them from where they had been resting on the wooden floor, along with the fading remnants of static. I frowned, stretched out my back, and glanced up through the window above my bed. It was daytime, but as the night before the clouds covered the majority of the sun. Not that I minded, I was going to be staying inside all day anyways.

"What time is it..." I wondered out loud, lurching off of the bed and towards my bags. Shuffling over to my carry-on, I knelt down on the floor with a thud and started to rummage through it, trying to find my phone. It rested at the bottom, along with my IPod and Nintendo. I pulled all three items out before tapping the start button on my phone.

The welcome screen appeared and I began to remove other items from my bag as I waited for it to load up. Deodorant bottles, spare clothes, sketchbooks, pencils and two pairs of headphones were pulled out one-by-one and set on top of my dresser. Other items, such as my games case and various books, remained in the bag for the time being; mostly because I was too lazy to find a place for them.

By the time I had sorted through the bag, my phone had turned on and its glaring screen displayed three missed calls. Two from my mother and one from my friend back home. I sighed, knowing I probably wouldn't be able to talk to them properly for maybe a month. The Ataeras didn't have Internet service, and my phone didn't cover calls from America. I would have to use the house phone, and even then the calls would be extremely expensive.

I glanced at the screen. The time on my phone read 2 : 27.

"Shit!" I hissed. I had slept for _over 18 hours_!

I jumped up and grabbed some clothes from my bag. I had to get a shower before anyone came home, they couldn't see me looking like a bum! I would die of embarrassment.

Opening the door to my bedroom, I looked around to check if the coast was clear. I couldn't hear any noise in the house, and it seemed as if I was the only one home. I crept down the stairs; shampoo in one hand and my clothes / towel in the other. _Please don't let Quil be home, please don't let him see me in my pyjamas..._

Luckily, it seemed like no one was home. I breathed a sigh of relief as I passed Quils bedroom, glancing in to find it empty. The bathroom door was open too, showing no one inside.  
I showered in peace, wondering where everyone was. Quil was the same age as me, so maybe he was in school? I knew Joy was at work, as she told me yesterday she would be home late because she had to take a trip to Port Angeles to get some documents regarding my living arrangements. Even so, knowing that I would be in the house alone for a few hours unnerved me.

I finished showering and dressed quickly, returning upstairs to blow dry my hair. Since no one would be home for a while, I ventured downstairs to fix myself some lunch. The cat I had spotted yesterday was laid out upon the kitchen floor, asleep and snoring. I had always been a cat person, so my first instinct was to approach it and begin to play with it. Smiling, I reached out my hands to stroke it's stomach, lunch momentarily forgotten.

In an instant, the cat was awake. A loud hiss escaped it's mouth as it lashed out towards me, it's claws dragging down my right forearm and giving me three long scratched. I winced, and retracted my arm as the cat scampered off.

_Douchebag cat, I was only trying to stroke you!_

"Well fuck you too." I muttered at it's retreating back, going over to the sink to wash the blood off. I didn't really think a band aid was going to cut it, so I just wrapped some kitchen towels around the wound and hoped it would soak up the blood. I'm used to cat scratches (among other types of animal scratches) so it didn't bother me much. I just hoped I wouldn't get blood around Joy's nice kitchen. Remembering my growling stomach, I looked through the cupboards for some cereal.

I didn't recognise any cereals in the cupboard. Like, at all. I was forced to settle on the old-man bran flakes, as that was the only thing I vaguely recognised. I poured the flakes and some milk into a bowl, grabbed a spoon and began to make my way upstairs. I had ventured into the hall with the spoon in my mouth when there was a knock at the door.

Oh _shit_. _Oh shit shit shitshitshit-_

What do I do? What if it's the moving company bringing all my stuff over! I can't miss that, I would have to go for weeks without my laptop! Oh crap, what do I do?

I hurriedly set down my cereal on one of the stairs and frantically began looking on the key rack to see what key could open the door. I grabbed the one closest to the door, and shoved it into the lock. It seemed to fit, but I had to jiggle it around for awhile before I finally heard the click of the lock opening. Gripping the handle and pulling it open, I stepped back to greet the person on the other side.

The woman on the other side was definitely not the delivery man.

She was smaller than me, about 5"6', and appeared to be in her mid forties. Her short hair framed her face, and was cut into a rather harsh style. She had the dark, russet skin that the tribe was known for, and as I assessed her she stared right back at me with her black, almond shaped eyes.

"Hello!" She smiled, her eyes crinkling in at the corners. She held a large casserole dish in her hands, and the smell emanating from it was not a good one.

Ew. Fish.

"H-hello." I answered uncertainly, confused as to the identity of this woman. The Rez was a pretty small community, and it made sense hat they would bring each other food, but what are the chances of someone other than the delivery man arriving at the house on the second day I had been living there?

"Oh, you're Joy's niece, aren't you? It's nice to meet you, after everything she's been saying about you!" She laughed, and I felt my face contort into a look of utter horror.

"All good things! All good! Don't worry, she thinks you're the 'bees knees'." She assured me, nodding her head to reaffirm the statement.

"I'm Sue, by the way. Sue Clearwater. I live just a few blocks away and Quil Senior had asked me for one of my fish pies, so I thought I would bring it round in the day rather than barge in at night. Is he not home?"

"Um, no, I don't think so. I haven't seen him yet, really." I admitted, trying to smile and seem friendly. Hopefully now that she knew Quil Sr wasn't here, she would _leave_.

"Oh, that's quite alright. Do you think you could take this and out it into the fridge ...?" She hesitated, which I took as a prompt for my name. It's a wonder she didn't already know it, after how much Joy was _supposedly_ talking about me.

"Yeah, sure, I can do that! And um, my name is Charlotte. Charlotte Grimes." I told her, taking the lukewarm dish out of her ands and holding it like it was made of glass. She faltered for a second, obviously spotting my paper-towel-clad arm, before smiling and nodding again.

"Alright, Charlotte, I can remember that." She muttered, seemingly more to herself than me.

"It was nice to meet you, Charlotte! I'll see you around, I'm sure." Sue called, retreating down the path and onto the street beyond. I called a quick 'you too', before pulling the door shut with my foot.

_Rude fucker, the least she could do was shut the door. I obviously have my hands full!_

I walked back to the kitchen, quickly sliding the tray into the fridge and shutting the door. I raced back to the hallway, only to discover my cereal had soaked for too long and was now a soggy brown lump. Cursing quite violently, I went back again to throw it into the bin, and made my way upstairs again to wait for the delivery van.

The next two days passed the same way. I would wake up late, find everyone gone, bring lunch up to my room and finally go downstairs for dinner. After that, I would retreat straight back up to my room.

Just as I was begging to get used to this schedule, Old Quil finally decided to make an appearance.

I met him on the fifth night of my two-year-long stay. He was sat at the dinner table as I came down for food, and promptly began staring at me with his old, mahogany eyes. Those eyes seemed to be a family trait.

I can't deny the fact that when I saw him sitting at the table I almost crapped myself. He was hardly threatening, as he looked like if you so much as touched him he would break. His eyes were the things that scared me most.

They looked so old and so severe that I was honestly dreading sitting near him for dinner.

"Hello." I greeted pleasantly, walking over to the table. He replied with a blank stare and a small noise of disapproval.

_He probably doesn't like that you're the result of an affair his father had, you idiot. _

I sighed, and shuffled past him to greet Joy in the kitchen. Quil entered, and we sat down to eat dinner. I think he might have sensed the tense atmosphere, bless him, as he tried to make as much conversation as possible. His grandfather wasn't having any of it however, and as soon as he finished eating he retreated back outside.

"He lives in the basement." Quil whispered, wiping his mouth ith the back of his hand.

"I know it might seem weird, but it's easier for him. The shed out back is his too, but he mostly uses it to dry fish and deer and stuff."

I nodded in response and continued with my meal.

To my utter delight, the day after my awkward encounter with Quil Sr, all my larger items arrived in the delivery. My laptop, television, kindle and Xbox came in one, neatly packaged large box. I almost cried when I saw them, and immediately rushed to my room to set them up in the appropriate places.

_Maybe this place isn't so bad after all._

Just after lunch on the very same day, Joy approached me in my room.

"Feeling like home yet?" She grinned, walking in and sitting on my bed.

"Oh yes, thanks! I'm glad to finally have all my stuff." I smiled back at her, plugging in various cables and wires.

"I bet you're glad you don't have to stay cooped up all day anymore! It must have been terrible, being inside all day." I was all but ignoring her at this point, so I made a sound of agreement to make her think I was interested.

"Actually, I wanted to clean the house tomorrow, so it would be a perfect time for you to go out and explore the Rez!" Joy exclaimed, jumping up and clapping.

"I'll let Quil know you won't be in tomorrow. Oh, the fresh air will do you good!" She laughed at my expression of shock, and then exited back out of my door and down the stairs.

Me? Go outside? I prayed that she would forget about it before tomorrow. The outdoors and me just don't mix. Pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to relax, and leant backwards, quickly hitting the floorboards.

This would not end well.

* * *

**Hi guys! Tei here, just wanted to thank you all for your lovely reviews and all the follows / favs! It really means a lot to me to have people liking my stories!  
I was actually active on this site a few years back, writing awful self inserts and mary sue fics. I've since improved quite dramatically (four years of GCSE English does that to a person) and wanted to start posting again.  
That being said, I still make many mistakes in my chapters. If anyone would be interested in being a beta reader for me, just send me a PM / review and I'll contact you from there.  
Also, sorry this chapter is more of a 'filler' chapter, if nothing else. I enjoy being thorough with my stories c;  
Thanks again and have a lovely day c:**


	4. Chapter 4 - Beach Boys

My dearest cousin awoke me the next morning.

By _sitting_ on my chest.

I awoke - quite violently, I might add - with a loud gasp and a yell of 'I'm having a heart attack!'. This was followed by the weight on my chest being suddenly removed and loud peals of laughter to echo around the room.  
"You _fucking_ _twat_, I could have died! Shithead!" I swore at him, quickly pushing myself out of bed and smacking him hard on the chest.  
He laughed louder, and it seemed like my slap had hurt myself more than it had him.

"I wasn't aware a lady like you used such language!" He snickered, imitating a posh accent.

_Shit, what did I just say to him?_

I clamped my hand down on my mouth and sat back on the bed. Oh, holy hell. What if Joy heard? What if _Quil Senior_ heard! I was in deep shit and I knew it. They would think I was some... some thug! I've barely been here a week, for gods sake, I can't fuck it up now!  
"Please don't tell your mum," I whispered, close to tears. It didn't help that my hand still stung from where I hit him, the marble bastard.

"Or your grandad." I added for good measure.

"Don't worry, kiddo. I won't. I just wanted to see what you were really like, that's all." He sat down next to me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders and winking at me. I scowled back, shrugging his arm off.  
"You couldn't have thought of a better way than _sitting_ on me?"

"Well, I tried shaking you, and you didn't get up. I yelled, too. So I just thought if I sat on you then you would get up, and you did!" He grinned as if it was some admirable accomplishment. Glaring up at him, I shuffled down the bed; determined to put as much space between us as possible.  
"And what's with you calling me kiddo? I'm barely what, two months younger?" I inquired. My birthday had just passed a month ago, at the ending of February. I had celebrated by buying my first lottery ticket.

Yes, the British are that weird.

"You're a shortass though, I'm allowed to call you that. My little baby cousin~" He cooed, gently pulling me into a headlock and rubbing his knuckles on my head. I growled and tried to push his arm off of me, not appreciating the 'short ass' comment. He just laughed and released my head from his iron-strong grip.  
"Oh, by the way, mom is nearly finished with breakfast. She's made you lunch too, I think she wants you out of the house for as long as possible." Quil joked, patting me on the back and pushing himself off of the bed.

I frowned. Did Joy not like me? Was she regretting taking me in because I was an antisocial, egotistical asshole? It seemed reasonable to me that she disliked having me around; after all, I only saw her for dinner and after that I was straight back upstairs.  
"Oh, no, not in that way! Mom loves you, she really does. You're like the daughter she never had, trust me." He explained in response to my worried expression. Oddly, I detected no bitterness behind his words. He must really love his mum.

"So uh, yeah just get dressed and come down. You should probably pack a backpack or something, mom thinks you're the type to go trail walking." Shaking his head and snickering, Quil walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs.

"Nice PJ's by the way!" He called over his shoulder.

I was suddenly hyper aware that he had seen me in little kitten booty shorts and a tank top that read 'make tea, not war'. My face flushed a deep red in embarrassment, and I hurried around my room to make myself presentable before heading downstairs.

* * *

My auntie, bless her soul, had prepared what she had described as a "hikers breakfast". It consisted of bacon, eggs, toast, a couple of sausages and two glasses of orange juice. I had discovered this meal neatly set out on a breakfast table in the kitchen that I wasn't previously aware existed. Never one to refuse food, I ate it in record time and ended up with two extra pieces of bacon left over. Not that they were left over for long, of course. As soon as Quil spotted them, he muttered a fast 'Can I?' before I nodded and pushed my plate towards him.

He snatched them off of the plate, shoving them in his mouth and swallowing. He was now up to a grand total of five fried eggs, five sausages, six pieces of toast, nine glasses of orange juice and twelve pieces of bacon. I had been counting.

It baffled me as to how someone could eat that much! I mean, I was no stranger to over eating - I was a little on the heavy side myself - but someone eating that much was unheard of! This time, Quil caught me staring instead of Joy.

"I had a long night." He grinned, finishing his tenth glass of orange juice and wiping his mouth. Letting out a loud sigh, he leant back on his chair; resting his knees on the edge of the table, putting one hand on his stomach and the other behind his head.

"That was great! Thanks, mom." He beamed at her. She smiled back, and I hurriedly emitted my own thanks.

"Oh, it's no problem dear! You have an exiting day ahead of you, I have to prepare you accordingly." Joy winked, and continued to stir something on the stove.

"I'll be out at lunch, so I've made you some soup to put in your bag. Eating that bran all the time is no good for you." She shook her head, and poured the liquid she had previously been stirring on the stove into a large flask. Tightening the lid, she set it on the table in front of me, collecting both mine and Quils' plates in the process.  
I had to admit, eating bran none stop was getting pretty bland...

"Quil, sweetie, will you have time to show Charlie around today...?" Joy asked, beginning to wash up our plates. He jolted upright, flashing me a sorry smile before starting towards the back door.

"I'm sorry, mom, but I can't. Work is really... busy, these days. You understand, right?" He asked, turning to me with desperate eyes.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, sure, I understand. I mean, La Push isn't that big anyways, I'm sure I can manage on my own." I reasoned. Joy didn't seem very convinced.  
I could see Quil itching to get out of the back door, but his mothers cold gaze had him rooted to the spot.

"I'm not sure you should go alone..." She mused, her resolve swaying.

"If I get lost, I can always just ask someone? You said yourself that this community was very friendly, didn't you?" My doubtful answer seemed to convince her, as she shifted her gaze from her son to me.

"I suppose you're right..."

"Plus, since Quil will be at his job, I'll feel even safer. He does security and protection stuff right?"

Joy nodded, and waved a hand at Quil to leave before turning back to her washing. He mouthed a 'thank you' at me before dashing out the back door and into the tree line. I shook my head at him, before pushing myself away from the table and stuffing the flask into a small rucksack I had brought downstairs.

I hauled it onto my back, letting it hang with only one strap on my shoulder. It only had a few things in it, like an umbrella, a book, and my IPod, so I wasn't too worried about it falling. I zipped my jacket up (I would probably take it off as soon as I got outside. Joy insisted I wear it) and approached my aunt.

"Is it left to the main residential area of La Push?" I asked, not too eager to leave.

"Yes, just follow the road down a little ways and you'll soon see more houses. Sue lives down there, you know, the woman who brought the fish pie over the other day? Maybe you could drop by and say hello!"

I grimaced at the thought of social contact.

"After that, if you keep going down a while there are marked trails through the woods. You can get out to the beach that way, too. But sweetie, if you do go into the woods, don't go very far off of the paths, okay?" She seemed concerned at the mention of the forest, her voice lowering and adopting a more serious tone.

"There are wild animals in those woods. Bears, mountain lions, wolves, you name it. It's extremely rare they come near the paths, though, so you'll be fine. Especially with Quil and his friends patro- err, protecting the Rez." She slipped up for a second there, I thought. I wonder what she's hiding.

"Go on now, off you go! You're wasting daylight," Joy was back to her usual happy self, and was ushering me out the back door as she had done to her son not five minutes ago.

"I won't be back until seven, and Quil Sr isn't coming back until around nine. Quil might be in when you get back, but that boy is about as reliable as a chocolate fire guard." She chuckled, and shook her head.

"You have your keys?"

"Right here," I replied, dangling my keychain from my index finder. One for my bike, one for the garage and one for the front door. Soon, a car key would be added to my collection. Joy had signed me up for drivers ed in Port Angeles, so I could continue my course and get my (albeit restricted) licence in a few months.

Joy glanced at the keys, before dismissing me with a brief 'Don't stay out too long after it gets dark', shutting the door behind me.

_Don't worry, I wasn't planning on staying out too long at all._

I jumped down the steps, slowly making my way to the front of the house and following the residential road onto the main one. I turned left, as instructed, and made my way down the side of the road on a dirt footpath carved into the edge of the forest.

About ten minutes down the road, I arrived at another residential street. These houses were only two floors high - much unlike the street I lived on - and appeared to have been withered greatly by the wind, rain and snow. Despite their sunken appearance, they seemed rather homely; the chipped paint and falling shingles doing nothing to displace the feeling of warmth emanating from the mere image of these homes. However, Sue lived in one of those houses. I didn't care to find out which one.

I continued my walk, darting into the darkness of the forest anytime I heard a car coming. After it passed, the chirping of birds and the rustling of the leaves would return, reminding me how close to nature I actually was. I scowled when I realised that I would probably have to walk through the forest. I had lived in a city all of my life, and now even living in front of a forest made me feel antsy.  
When I was younger, I used to love going out into the forest and playing with my friends for hours on end. That all changed when three of my so called 'friends' pushed me into a large pile of leaves that just so happened to be covered in spiders. After that, I never spoke to them again and rarely went outside. Sometimes just looking at a picture of a forest brought back a rush of bad memories.

However, I can't deny that the forest at this time of day looked rather pretty. What little sun shone through the clouds managed to bounce off of the dew on the firs and pines, making the branches twinkle like Christmas lights. I smiled slightly, grabbing a small branch at the bottom of a pine a shaking it violently. Tiny droplets of water cascaded from the top of the tree, dampening the ground below. I shook my head, wiped my hands on the back of my hoodie, and continued down the path.

It took me around half an hour to walk from the house to the closest trail, and then another half an hour to follow the trail down to the beach. In that time, I had taken my hoodie off, rolled my sleeves up, almost stepped on some sort of small rodent (I think it was a mouse but I can't be sure), gotten lost halfway down the trail and had a panic attack because I was sure I had felt a spider on my hand. After that ordeal, I finally managed to stumble onto First Beach.

It wasn't what I would call a beach, per se. Beaches have sand, inviting water, and, above all, sunny skies. First beach had none of the three.

For starters, the beach only turned to sand around five feet from the shoreline. The rest was a mixture of pebbles and dirt, yet to be worn away by the sea. The water itself was so dark it looked black, with dull grey foam only serving to outline the crashing of the waves on the shore. The sky had remained grey for the entirety of my walk, and I was just glad it hadn't rained.

A sigh escaped my lips.  
I had expected the beach to be at least a _little_ nicer.

I stepped out of the forest and onto the pebbles, making a beeline for a large log that seemed to have been placed in the middle of the beach. It faced the shoreline, and was pushed into the wall so there was a small back to lean on if you leant back far enough. I deemed this seat acceptable as I plopped down onto it, making it creak slightly from my weight. Pulling out my iPod, headphones, and new copy of The Hobbit, I began reading; content that I was alone on the beach.

I had gotten four chapters in when I heard loud, booming laughter coming from the far end of the beach. Curious as to who would be out this early, I looked up. 

Four men were walking down the beach. All appeared to be Quileute, all were shirtless, and all had tattoos on their right shoulders. Upon closer scrutiny, I discovered one was Quil. He was the second tallest out of all of them, and was currently pulling the smallest one into a headlock. If I didn't know any better, I would say they were brothers; their similar looks and brotherly actions towards one another would have convinced any stranger.

They were around thirty meters away now, and had still not noticed me. I prayed that they would walk past without commenting on me, and in an effort to appear more invisible I buried my face back into my book, turning the volume of my headphones up. Maybe I should be the cover girl for the "leave me alone" magazine?

My eyes darted up for a split second, scanning the beach for the four friends. It seemed Quil had spotted me, and he had begun walking over with the smallest one in tow. He was still trapped in the headlock my cousin had put him in, poor thing, but at least he didn't seem to be in any pain. When my eyes met with Quil's he lit up, grinning and increasing his pace towards me.

_You've acknowledged him now, you twat! I hope you're ready for an awkward conversation with his friend here, because you _know_ he'd going to get involved in some way._

I offered him a meek smile in response, pulling my headphones out and marking my page. He stopped in front of me, grinning down like a mad man as his friend now began to squirm in his grip.

"Quil, man, let me go! Your armpit stinks!" The kid grumbled, digging his fingers into my cousins side.

"That's the smell of manliness, Sethy-kins. A smell you're not used to, I'm sure." He mocked back, tightening his grip for a second before letting go altogether. 'Sethy-kins' was now bent over, rubbing his neck.

"Hi cuz!" Quil finally greeted me, giving me a small wave.

"Hello..." I murdered, glancing over to his friend to check if he was okay. I watched him straighten himself out, stretch, and then turn his gaze downwards towards me.

I watched in confusion as his eyes widened and glazed over; his pupils dilating so much that the caramel colour of his irises were completely lost to inky-blackness. His jaw became slack, his arms drooping to his sides. It was if my life had suddenly placed all its focus onto this one man; all aspects of my life becoming blurred and fuzzy as I saw him in hyper-detail. Everything suddenly seemed to be moving slowly, as if reality was attempting to re-fix itself to a defining moment. His pupils contracted, returning to normal size and bringing his beautiful caramel irises back into view.

Wait, _what_? Beautiful?

_The first guy you've met that isn't your family and you're already fantasising about his 'beautiful' eyes? Get a grip, for christ's sake._

Both time and reality seemed to suddenly snap back into place, as I quickly tore my eyes away from the stranger to actually face Quil.  
"S-sorry," I stuttered, my face heating up.

"What was that?"

He looked from me, to Sethy-kins, back to me, and then to Sethy-kins again. His eyebrows rose, his mouth fell open and I heard him emit a small sound of 'oh'. I looked back to his friend; I could see a dark blush forming under his russet skin, making me wonder what had caused it.

"I, uh, just wanted to introduce you to my friend Seth here!" Quil beamed, pushing the younger boy forwards.

"Charlie, meet Seth; Seth, meet Charlie!" Seth stumbled from the push, and I quickly threw my arms out to both steady him and prevent him from landing on top of me. _Jesus_, he was heavy.

"Sorry! Sorry..." He offered me a sheepish smile, straightening himself out and inching away from Quil. I we stared at each other for a second, before I blushed and turned away.

"Oh? What's that Jared? I'll be there in a minute!" Quil called back over his shoulder at his remaining two friends, and they in turn looked towards him a if to say 'no one said anything'.  
"I'll let you two, uh, become acquainted." He snickered, slapping an embarrassed Seth on the back and wiggling his eyebrows at me. I scowled back, making him laugh and push Seth so that he landed on the log next to me.  
"Coming Jared!" Quil called, scampering off to gossip with his friends and leaving me and Seth alone together. 

"Hi..." I offered weakly, folding my hands into my lap and focusing on my shoelaces. He shifted from his previous position, so he was more or less straddling the log with his hands gripping the space in front of him.

"Hey!" He replied, and I glanced up long enough to catch his dazzling and infectious smile. I smiled at him in return, looking up and out towards the ocean. If I looked at his face I just knew I would stare at his eyes again, and that would be way too embarrassing.

"So, Charlie, huh?"

"Yeah is uh, it's a nickname. My full name is Charlotte but you can call me whatever, really." I mumbled, my cheeks flushing. I saw his smile widen out of the corner of my eye, and he laughed.  
"Pleased to meet you, whatever." He grinned, obviously impressed by his own joke.  
"Bah, you know what I mean!" I waved my arms towards him, grinning.

"Okay, okay," He put his hands up in mock-defence.

"Please don't hurt me, o wise and powerful Charlie! I beggeth your forgiveness!"

I couldn't understand how he could so easily joke with me even though we had known each other for about two minutes. It seemed so effortless and easy, the way he talked, and I was envious at his apparent confidence around new people.

"I don't really think I could hurt you if I tried," I laughed in response, turning my body towards him but still not making eye contact.  
"You and your friends over there are built like tanks."

"It's a genetic thing." He grinned in response, shifting closer to me and making my hair stand on edge.

"Then why am I fat and a weakass?" I offered in response, prodding my stomach.

"Well, you are also about the palest person I've ever seen, so that might be a hint, too. And I don't think you're fat."

"Aha, I guess you're right. I guess I just didn't inherit the 'strong man' genes." My lame attempt at a joke didn't seem to go down well, as he only smiled in response. After a brief moment of all too awkward silence, I tried to revive the conversation.

"So, Seth huh?" I had introduced myself, it was only proper that he do the same.

"Yeah! Seth Clearwater, at your service." He attempted to bow on the bench, dipping his head and moving his hand out in a grand and sweeping gesture.

"Oh, Clearwater? As in, Sue Clearwater?" I asked. This really _was_ a small community.

"Yeah, that's my mom! You know her?"

"Yeah she uh, came by the house the other day to drop off a pie for Quil Senior. She seemed nice!" It was probably wise not to bad mouth his mother in front of him.  
"Yeah, she really is. I forget that you're Quil's cousin, you live like ten minutes away from me!" He laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Maybe we could hang out sometime?" He sounded hopeful. I nodded, and smiled back at him.  
"Yeah, sure! It'd be nice to talk to someone other than the Ateara for a while," I grinned, looking over to the group where my cousin stood.

They were looking at me with a mix of curiosity and smugness, and I suddenly became very self conscious. I looked back towards my shoes, slowly shuffling down the log and away from Seth.

"Not that I don't like Joy and Quil it's just that, yeah... Haven't really had any other human contact since I've been here, other than your mum of course." I explained.

"I totally understand! Maybe I could come around tomorrow and we could watch a movie or something? Or maybe I could show you around the Rez!" I could hear his excitement growing with every word, and he began to bounce like an excited puppy.

"That would be great, actually. It took me ages to get here from my house, so to have a local 'tour guide' would be pretty helpful. Quil was uh, supposed to take me out today but he had work..." My rambling was cut short as one of the men from Quil's group approached us.

"Seth, dude, we gotta get going. Breaks over." He said, eying me up and down before focusing back on Seth. My new friend sighed, and climbed back over the log; standing with his back towards the ocean.

"It was nice meeting you, Charlie," He smiled, and I dared to glance at his eyes again.

Flecks of gold and yellow stained his dark caramel irises, swirling almost hypnotically as if to draw me into their charm. He had very long eyelashes for a boy, so thick and dark that it made the whites of his eyes seem whiter. It wasn't fair; guys weren't supposed to have eyes this pretty!  
I know he caught me staring, as I watched the corner of his eyes crinkle upwards as he laughed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Is lunchtime ok?" He asked, still smiling down at me.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'll be ready." I replied, looking away from his cute face and over towards my cousin. He and his friend were making gagging faces in my direction.  
I rolled my eyes at them, and murdered my goodbyes to Seth.

He retreated slowly, glancing back over his shoulder to wave at me a he had rejoined his friends. They crowded him, laughing and patting him on the back as he smiled with them. 

I was hit with a wave of understanding; it had all been a joke. They had sent him over to me so I would talk to him and make a fool of myself, and now they were laughing at it. They _knew_ I had been staring at him. They _knew_ I thought he was cute.

_And now they're laughing because someone as fat and ugly as you couldn't possibly be with someone like him, right?_

I scowled down into my lap, watching as the group of boys disappeared into the woods. I was finally alone again, and now I just wanted to go home. Shoving my book and iPod back into my bag, I stood up, dusted myself off, and began to walk further down the beach. There was no way I was returning the way I had came; Quil and Seth had just walked down that path. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to find another, right?

I found one at the opposite end of the beach, surrounded by decaying tree stumps and dying trees. It didn't look all that safe, but I would walk through hell and back before I would follow guys who liked to mess with girls for cheap laughs.  
Now I was determined to return home.

With a stony face, I took my first tentative step onto the path in front of me.  
And thus began the long and eventful trek home.


End file.
